Comb package



Feb. 20, 1934. R J DwYER 1,947,762

COMB PACKAGE Filed Sept. 28, 1932 ATTORNEY,

Patented Feb. 20, 1934 UNHTED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMB PACKAGE of New Jersey Application September 28, 1932 Serial No. 635,278

3 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in the form of so-called tubes of transparent cel-' lulose sheet material and other similar sheer stuffs made-up to form enclosures for various articles, and particularly a bag or tube adapted specially for packing combs with a close fit, so as to form a unitary package of good appearance. An aim is to secure a neat fit of the enclosureso that the enclosure will have a minimum of wrinkles, which spoil the view of the enclosed article. In the packing of combs and like articles particularly, there is much difficulty in effecting the insertion of the article in a close fitting cellulose envelope or bag by reason of the numerous projecting teeth tending to engage the side of the bag and tear the same. Insertion of tooth brushes is attended by similar difficulty, and in addition to loss of the comparatively expensive cellulose material, there is involved the waste of labor, as well as an excessive expenditure of time on the successfully made packages.

It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to present a bag adapted to be made of thin cellulose sheeting especially'for combs and other articles, which will be liable in a minimum degree to tearing at the'sides, and is of peculiar advantage otherwise. A further purpose is to present a bag so formed as to be peculiarly adapted to the packaging of combs so that thefit of the enclosure will be snug and symmetrical and with a minimum of loose or creased parts.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in the method, structural form and combination of elements involved in the invention, as will be understood from the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a view of a comb enclosed in one of my tube envelopes.

Figure 2 is a cross section of the package.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the package.

Figure 4 is a detail elevation of the open end of the bag.

Figure 5 is a cross section of the bag alone, in

its medial part.

' Figure 6 is a similar View between the front and back edges of the top end of the bag.

Figure 7 is a detail showing how the teeth of the comb may engage the material of the bag and turn it inward without tearing.

There is illustrated an envelope or tube or bag 10, made of very thin cellulose acetate or other transparent material. Ordinarily this is produced in a continuous strip of a width corresponding to the aggregate of that of the face 11 of the bag, the two back flaps 12, and a bellows fold 13 at one side of the bag. The strip is run through a machine to make the single side crease 14 at one side and the bellows fold 13 and to lap the back flaps and secure them together'by solvent or adhesive, forming a continuous tube. At suitable intervals the tube is severed in such manner as to form a bag mouth 15 having a back side 16 much longer than the front side 11 and with a transverse edge spaced a substantial dis- 5 tance' beyond the transverse edge 18 of the front face of the bag. The back face thus projects longitudinally beyond the front face, the length of this projection as heretofore practiced being about one inch, although this may be consider- 7 ably varied. The bottom of the bag is closed in any approved manner. The side edges of the mouth of the bag are peculiarly formed for a purpose which will become apparent. At the side of the bag having a single fold, the front trans- 7 verse edge 18 of the bag mouth stops short of the crease 14, and the front face portion of the bag is continued longitudinal beside the opening of thebag, forming a slight apron or flangelike piece 19, which is simply a projection from the back side of the tube extending inward from the crease 14 and forming an integral continuation of the front face and back flap 12 of the bag. At the left side, the bellows fold 13 of the bag consists of a single inner crease 20, and two 35 outer creases 21and 22 at back and front of the bag respectively and the lower or front edge 18 of the bag mouth stops at the front crease 22, while the bellows portion of the bag extends upward and is trimmed evenly with the back or top edge 16 of the mouth of the bag.

In the bag there is packed a comb 24, with which the bag is coordinated. The comb is of conventional form, having a thick back part 25, slightly arched longitudinally, from which extend the teeth 26 as usual, these teeth being shorter at the ends by reason of the arching of the back, and pointed by reason of the entire body of teeth being commonly tapered gradually from each side of the comb to a medial rectilinear line across the points of the teeth. The bag when opened and having the comb engaged therein is substantially in the form of a triangle in cross section, having one side formed by the material of the bellows fold equal in transverse extent to the thickness of the comb, and having equal sides at front and back 11 and 27. The lap 28 of the back flaps 12 may be located medially of the back face 2'7 of the bag. The comb is inserted in the bag with the points of the teeth close to the sin- HQ gle side crease 14, and the creases 21 and 22 snugly fitted to the intersections of the back edge and sides of the comb. As a result, the bag lies smoothly against both sides of the comb throughout, and it is made possible to make the bag of a size fitting very closely the comb at the middle part of the latter so that a package of maximum neatness is presented.

In the insertion of the comb in the bag, the bag is laid front up on a suitable support, and while a small blast of air is directed against the mouth of the bag to raise the front edge 18 of the bag mouth, or the face 11 otherwise lifted, the end of the comb is laid against the longitudinally projected part of the back side, inserted between the front and back sides, and the entire comb pushed into the bag. In this operation the ends of the teeth come against the material of the bag at the crease 14 and the back edge of the comb presses the bellows fold outward to lie snugly against the engaging part of the comb.

In this operation, the side apron 19 functions to protect the bag from being torn by the comb teeth. If the front edge 18 extended entirely to the crease 14, hooking of the teeth in such front edge would occur, and it would be caused to tear. Tendency of the engaged edge to turn in, in such case, would be opposed by reason of the fact that in order to permit such infolding the peripheral measurement of the bag around the comb would have to be materially reduoed,'and this would be opposed by the snug fit of the comb, the result would be a more forcible drawing in of the bag against the teeth and consequent damage of the bag.

In my form of bag, on the contrary, the side apron part 19 is free to turn inward if engaged by the teeth and in so doing it fends the material of the bag away from the teeth of the comb by presenting an inclined surface for the teeth to ride on. The part 23 at the bellows fold of the bag likewise facilitates entering the end of the comb in the bag by reason of its capability of bending outward, and it also minimizes liability of starting a split in the bag if the comb is not accurately positioned with its longitudinal axis coincident with the longitudinal axis of the bag when first inserted.

The advantage of having the single crease at one side and the bellows crease at the other Will readily be understood. Thus, a single fold at the side next the back of the comb would create a protuberance out of symmetrical relation to the form of the comb, while by having the bellows creases spaced from each other, as they are onehalf the thickness of the back of the comb, the crease 20 presses inward against the comb, while the creases 21 and 22 as before stated aline with the respective sides of the comb and enhance the conformation of the bag to the comb as well as improving the good appearance of the package. If the bag had a bellows fold at both sides there would be an excessively wrinkled effect beside the ends of the teeth, and in addition, the central crease of such fold at that side would tend more to become engaged with the teeth when the comb is inserted, and loss of bag material would be excessive.

I claim:

1. The combination of a comb and a bag enclosure therefor of material such as described, said bag consisting of a front and a back meeting with a single crease at one side, and having a bellows fold connection at the opposite side, the bellows fold consisting of a central crease and two outer creases, each spaced from the central crease onehalf the thickness of the back of the comb, the said front and back corresponding to the measurement of the sides of the comb from the points of the teeth to the back edge.

2. A bag for combs and the like consisting of a front and a back joined at the lateral edges integrally, the bag having a mouth provided with a back transverse edge and a front transverse edge spaced longitudinally inwardly of the back edge a distance sufficient to permit an article for insertion to be laid against the longer part during opening of the bag, the material of the bag being extended laterally from the longitudinally proiected portion of the back at each side between the said back and front edges, and forming a longitudinal lateral apron piece as an integral continuation of said front, the front transverse edge stopping short of the junction of the front and back at the apron.

3. A bag for combs and the like consisting of a front and a back joined integrally at one side on a single fold, and joined integrally at the other side on a. bellows fold, the bag having a mouth provided with a back transverse edge and a front transverse edge spaced longitudinally inwardly of the back edge a distance, the said front edge stopping short of the single fold, and stopping short of the rear crease of the bellows fold, the material of the bag being extended from the back around the single fold to form an apron as an integral continuation of the front of the bag.

RICHARD J. DWYER. 

